Why Women Are Getting Into Sport Shooting

Picture this: it’s a beautiful summer day. You and a group of friends decide to take advantage of the weather and head outdoors for a little friendly competition. You play a challenging course, get a lot of walking in, spend a few hours in nature, post some pictures on social media, and end the day with drinks at a clubhouse.

We’re talking about sport shooting. Far from being a boys’ club, this sport is growing in popularity amongst women, and here’s why.

Sport Shooting Is Actually Several Sports

Trap shooting is when a clay pigeon is launched from a single machine, or “house”.

Skeet shooting is when two clay pigeons are launched from two different houses such that their paths cross in front of the shooter.

Sporting clays is when you have a whole course of shooting stations, each one different. There are no standardized distances and angles. Instead, sporting clays courses are designed to simulate the hunting of ducks, pheasants, rabbits, and other game and fowl. Sporting clays often gets described as golf with a shotgun.

Last, Five Stand has been described as more action packed than trap shooting, without the space requirement of sporting clays. As the name suggests, there are five stations, or stands, and six to eighteen strategically placed traps. Shooters take their turn at each stand, and shoot at various combinations of clay birds.

Sport Shooting Is Highly Social

As McAuley notes, sport shooting has its own identity, and seems to attract “woman who enjoy being outside and like friendly competition.”

Some women get into sport shooting for the camaraderie they get with their friends. Others join to meet new friends and shooting partners. Others take up the sport because their spouse does it and they’d like to make it a family event. According to McAuley, there are a few mother and daughter teams who shoot together.

And of course, social media plays a role. Friends, the great outdoors, and competition all make for good Facebook posts, which attracts more people to the sport.

There’s a Low Barrier to Entry

Trying your hand at sport shooting is as easy as showing up at a course. No experience is required, no permit needed, no Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) necessary. FoxHarb’r, for example, provides beginners with basic training in gun safety, handling, proper stance, and sport shooting technique.

Competition Ranges From Friendly to Serious

Want a sport where you and a small group of friends can skip keeping score but still collect a few laughs and memories? That’s sport shooting.

Want a sport where you can train to get better and look for serious tournaments? That’s still sport shooting.

No matter what level of competition you’re looking for, sport shooting has you covered.

The Sporting Lodge at Fox Harb’r

You Can See New Places & Meet New People

There’s always a new course to try out, new people to shoot with, and a new event on the horizon. This golf analogy won’t go away. McAuley says, “Shooters are like golfers, we like to try other clubs to shoot a new course and to meet new people. The only difference between the two is in one you carry clubs and in the other you carry a shotgun.”

Fox Harb’r Resort has created a sports shooting venue that rivals anything in the world. Whether you are an experienced international wing shooter or a beginner learning the proper handling of a firearm, we have a sports shooting experience for you. Enjoy the thrill of hunting in the wilds of Nova Scotia, the challenge of world-class target shooting and the rustic comforts of our Sporting Lodge. For more on sport shooting at Fox Harb’r, as well as our sport shooting packages, click here.